Good hearts can spin a better world

A good heart.  What is it really?  That was the bull’s eye of a conversation I recently had concerning intriguing current events and conditions in the world these days. Confusion, chaos, natural disasters, pandemic threats, social turmoil and inequalities, political upheavals.  The list can go on and on.  There is no intent of sounding dismal here, but just relaying an exchange not rare at all – but rather, common anywhere and any place these days.  The  casual discussion peaked to a perplexity accented by the question – what is happening?  Are these the signs of the time?  Some may wonder what that question alludes to.  Almost like a cliché used when baffled about widespread dire occurrences.  And usually, the question is asked with some alarm.

Without advancing theories or ideas that may stir fear or anxiety, I bring this up because of the way my conversation ended up.  In a nutshell, my take was this —  there are circumstances beyond our control, and we watch with some helplessness because we desire solutions, rectification, a fix.  The truth is, we can do something.  We all can contribute to making life more purposeful in a better world.  How? Keeping a good heart.  Sounds too simplistic for a  complicated and ambivalent world whose proclivity is success without a soul, you might say.

So what really is a good heart?

When churning ideas to characterize a good heart, I thought of my Mama, Leoncia Manuel Pandes, who passed on Nov.7, 2017, a month shy of her 101st birthday — a beautiful woman with a good heart (sketch by Marie Recine – used in my book, Something Curious, Book 2: Simply Awed).

Read More »

Part 3: DELIGHTS

The new family member charms

Easily everyone’s sweetheart. That’s Burt, my grandson Eliott’s new pet dog, a 2-year-old mix-bred Terrier and Lhasa Apso.  Actually, I’m not sure about the dog’s full lineage. If a Cairn Terrier, Burt’s breed originated in the Scottish Highlands.  If a Lhasa Apso, his breed came from Tibet.  But whatever it is, this I know, he immediately grabbed my heart.  I’m sure he grabbed my grandson’s and his parents’ hearts, too.  

It is so endearing to see Eliott and Burt hit it off immediately from the first day the dog was brought home.  I suspect, it was that way at the rescue center when the two just met.  On facetime, I see Burt quietly following his new buddy around.  I read up about terriers.  One remarkable characteristic they have is their natural fondness for kids.  On the other hand, the Lhasa Apso dog is a great family companion.  Burt fawns on Eliott.  When the dog realizes his buddy is not in the room, he ambles from room to room, looking for him.  This is not without saying that my grandson has fast developed an affinity for his very first pet dog. 

Welcoming the new member of the family (photo courtesy of Eliott’s family)

Read More »